1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mechanical device to support electrical wires and cables from a flat surface such as a ceiling or a wall. More specifically, my invention is primarily intended to provide an installer such as an electrical contractor a one piece universal wire hanger to directly mount to all surfaces by firing from a powder actuated installation gun commonly used in the industry in one convenient, efficient and economical step. The present invention can be utilized to support wires, such as, but not limited to, electrical and telecommunications wire. The present invention can also be utilized to support tubing, channel and the like. The present invention can be comprised of a multitude of materials including but not limited to galvanized metal.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the electrical industry, open loop shaped wire hangers for overhead use are commonly referred to as xe2x80x9cbridle ringsxe2x80x9d. These bridle rings are a wire formed product comprising a loop with a threaded leg extending out of the loop. The loop supports the wire while the threaded leg is installed into the mounting surface such as a ceiling or a wall. As the industry practice utilizes a threaded leg, the bridle ring must be fastened to numerous installation accessories to properly mount it to the surface. In particular, to mount a bridle ring, a rod anchor pin and a rod coupler must be utilized along with a surface hole or insert.
Because of these numerous installation accessories used in the current state of the art, mounting a bridle ring to support wires requires very labor intensive and costly steps to install. First, the installer must drill a hole or insert into the mounting surface such as the ceiling or the wall. Next, the installer must install a rod anchor containing a female thread into the hole. Then the installer must thread a rod coupler into the anchor pin to provide a mount for the bridle ring. Next, the in staller threads the bridle ring into the rod coupler. After, installation, the installer must retrieve the wire from a wire puller located at a distance away from the bridle ring. The installer then must proceed to carry the wire to the bridle ring and insert it through the installed bridle ring.
As in many electrical jobs, these bridle rings are installed at a height requiring a ladder or a scaffold. Thus, this multi step process is further encumbered by having to descend and ascend the ladder/scaffold to install the accessories and to install the bridle ring. After installation, the installer must descend from the location to retrieve and pull the wire for each needed location of the bridle ring and pull the wire back up the ladder/scaffold through the bridle ring.
In the present state of the art, a hanger does not exist to economically and efficiently support electrical wire in a one step installation while allowing an installer to repetitively install hangers without stopping to insert accessories or pull wire. Currently, loop shaped supports exist for supporting or hanging tubular members such as a wire. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,022,614 issued to Rindeerer discloses a one piece conduit clip for securing conduit and the like to channel framing. The channel framing is commonly used in the industry and contains hook shaped lips at the ends of outer sides of the channel. These lips define a slot extending lengthwise of the channel. The slot opens downwardly when the channel is mounted in a ceiling and opens laterally when the channel is mounted on a side wall.
The clip comprises a one piece U-shaped clip with planar legs extending down away from the U-shaped opening with a connecting portion connecting the legs to each other. The U-shaped opening contains feet at each side which overlap inside the channel to slot inside the channel ridge holding the clip by pressure force to the channel member. Electrical cable is then slotted through the clip to be held at the desired height of the channel.
As with the existing bridle rings, limitations exist with respect to the conduit clip. Although the clip is a one piece member which can be installed in a convenient succession, the clip cannot be directly installed to a surface to a surface such as a ceiling or wall. The clip can only be installed to channel which requires mounting to the surface. Mounting the channel requires labor intensive steps to properly prepare the surface insert and fasten the channel at numerous locations along the surface. Further, the clip has to be mounted individually to the channel. Thus, numerous costly steps are required to mount the clip to the channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,822 issued to Einhorn discloses a swivel hook with pivotable components. The swivel hook comprises a yoke with a hook pivotally mounted to the yoke. The yoke is a U-shaped member joined by a bridge extending across which mounts to a surface. In an alternative embodiment, the yoke contains a mounting hole defined therein where a screw can be inserted for mounting the swivel hook directly to a surface. Still, further, in another embodiment, a screw is affixed to the back portion of the yoke which can be directly screwed into a mounting surface.
This swivel hook also contains limitations though. Because the hook is positioned directly opposite of the yoke, an installer cannot load the swivel hook into a powder actuated installation gun commonly used in the construction industry. Powder actuated installation guns fire a pin, nail or rod into a mounting surface in rapid succession as opposed to an installer either hammering or screwing the individual fastener into the mounting surface. As the hook is located directly opposite of the yoke and corresponding mounting screw, the swivel hook cannot be physically loaded into a powder actuated installation gun as the gun is configured to fire a tubular member such as a drive pin or nail. Thus, an installer must individually screw the swivel hook into the mounting surface resulting in labor extensive steps.
It would become highly economical to eliminate the extensive time, labor and material currently needed to mount bridle rings commonly used in the electrical industry. This cumbersome and inefficient method would be eliminated by a quick succession of movements.
It would become highly advantageous to provide a device that can efficiently, quickly and economically support electrical wires by directly mounting to a mounting surface. It further becomes highly advantageous to directly mount the device by using a powder actuated installation gun.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of my invention to provide a universal wire hanger to directly mount to a surface such as a ceiling and a wall.
It is still further an object of my invention to provide a universal wire hanger that is configured to be fired from a powder actuated installation gun.
Other objects of my invention, as well as particular features, elements, and advantages thereof, will be elucidated in, or apparent from, the following description and the accompanying drawing figures.
According to my present invention I have provided a universal electrical wire hanging device for hanging an electrical wire in a position for use when attaching to a surface comprising a mounting means, a distancing means, a receiving means and a fastening means for mounting a mounting member formed of an elongated rigid piece of wire to a surface such as a ceiling or a wall. The mounting means comprises an upper leg having a first end and a second end where a looped terminal is planarly joined at the first end. The looped terminal is positioned flush underneath the surface for attaching the upper leg to the surface.
The distancing means connects about a right angular relation to the mounting means wherein the distancing means extends away from the surface for distancing the mounting means from the surface. The distancing means comprises an upright leg having an upper end and a lower end where the upper end is joined relatively perpendicular to the second end of the upper leg.
The receiving means is joined to the distancing means for receiving and supporting at least one electrical wire. The receiving means comprises a looped wire receiving portion which is serpentinely joined to the lower end of the upright leg. The loop wire receiving portion is joined to the lower end by a terminal end where the terminal end is spaced in relation to an opposite end of the looped wire receiving portion. This space leaves a gap of sufficient width for receiving an electrical wire for supporting engagement by the looped wire receiving portion.
The fastening means is joined to the mounting means for fastening the mounting member to the surface. The fastening means comprises a fastener weldably attached underneath to the looped terminal end for fastening the looped terminal end to the ceiling surface. The fastener comprises a driving pin where the driving pin mounted through a plate welded to the bottom of the looped terminal.